


love's sweetest dream

by pressedviolets



Category: Coronation Street
Genre: F/F, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-27 03:37:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18189281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressedviolets/pseuds/pressedviolets
Summary: It was just a nightmare. A cruel, twisted nightmare.After what seemed like hours of sobbing into Rana’s hair as she stroked Kate’s back, she wiped her eyes, feeling nothing but sheer relief.“Love…” Rana was alert now, sitting up to return Kate’s embrace. “Did anything happen? What’s happened?”“I dreamt that you died.”





	love's sweetest dream

It was just a nightmare. A cruel, twisted nightmare. 

Kate woke up in a cold sweat, her heart hammering. She couldn’t open her eyes. She was too afraid that Rana wouldn’t be laying there beside her as she should be. She was afraid that Rana was really gone. 

Rana was a silent sleeper. Kate used to be relieved that she hadn’t had to endure snoring from her fiancée, but was now wishing she could hear Rana breathe more than anything. 

After a terrifying moment of nothing but darkness and silence, Kate gave in to her fear and reached out to Rana’s side of the bed. Tears threatened to spill as Kate’s hand searched helplessly in the dark. 

And then…Rana!

Kate felt Rana’s hair first, silky and smooth against her fingertips. Kate’s eyes flew open at the sight of Rana’s sleeping form outlined by the moonlight streaming through the window. Kate couldn’t help but cry out with joy, letting her hands freely travel across Rana’s forehead. 

Rana was warm with sleep, her eyebrows furrowing at the feel of Kate’s cold hand against her face. 

“Kate?” Rana croaked into the night. “What are you doing?”

Kate couldn’t help herself. She launched herself on top of Rana, kissing her lips fiercely and soaking Rana’s face with tears in the process as she sobbed. 

“Love…” Rana was alert now, sitting up to return Kate’s embrace. “Did anything happen? What’s happened?”

She didn’t want to scare Rana by making her believe that something was wrong, but Kate just couldn’t bring herself to speak. She was just so grateful that she still had her life to live with Rana. Beautiful, warm, breathing Rana. 

Kate still hears Rana’s voice from her dream ringing in her ears, her weak, devastated voice informing Kate that she wasn’t going to get out of the factory alive, that they weren’t going to get married, go on their honeymoon, or live the rest of their lives together in barely contained euphoria. 

In her nightmare, Rana had become lifeless before Kate could even say ’til death do us part.’ It had all happened so quickly. Kate didn’t even to give her bride one last kiss before she was gone. It had been the most unsatisfying ending for their passionate love story, waiting there in the collapsed factory, death in their midst. 

Finally, after what seemed like hours of sobbing into Rana’s hair as she stroked Kate’s back, Kate wiped her eyes, feeling nothing but sheer relief. 

“I dreamt that you died.” 

Just saying the words aloud made Kate feel intense agony, but with Rana’s fingers intertwined wth hers, she was no longer afraid. 

“Oh Kate,” Rana sighed, kissing Kate’s forehead gently. “Oh, love, I’m not going anywhere. I’m marrying you today.” 

“Today?” Kate paused, looking over at the clock. It read 4:03 a.m. 

“That’s right,” Rana’s lovely smile gleamed even in the dark as she wiped Kate’s tears with the back of her hand. “It’s March 20th. The wedding is only a few hours from now.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I ruined your sleep!” Kate cried, her voice breaking,“I didn’t mean to wake you. I just love you so much!”

“And I love you,” Rana pulled Kate into her arms, hugging her close. 

“Go back to sleep. I’m here.” 

Momentarily, Kate felt Rana’s arms relax as her wife-to-be drifted back to sleep. However, every time Kate closed her eyes, she could only see Rana laying on the floor of the factory, face covered in white debris and tears as the light left her eyes.

Kate could still vividly picture the medics trying and failing to revive Rana, then the police dragging Kate out of the building as she screamed her lungs out for her one true love. She could still picture Imran crumbled into a heap on the pavement yelling out his torture in Urdu as he prayed fervently that his sister wasn’t really dead. 

She remembered how she was later allowed to view Rana in the funeral home, her skin cold and her white wedding dress replaced with a black garment instead. Kate had given her own white jumpsuit to her father and Jenny for them to keep. Kate could never look at the clothing again without feeling an intense wave of sadness. It had been tainted by the painful memory of it all. 

Rana’s own white dress was kept folded neatly in a box in the back of Kate’s closet. She hadn’t yet decided what she would do with it, but she knew that she wanted it nearby for now. It was still covered in debris as well as Rana’s dried blood. Kate both hated and loved the sight of it. 

Watching Rana die after reciting their vows to one another had been traumatic, but what happened afterwards was possibly even worse. The marriage hadn’t been legal since no one was there to officiate it. There were no witnesses to the exchange, a thought which left her cold seeing as they had planned on being surrounded by their nearest and dearest friends on their big day. 

As the marriage wasn’t legal, Rana’s mother, Saira, had taken over the funeral arrangements. Kate wanted to fight her on the subject, but couldn’t find it within herself to give much of an effort. Rana’s death had left her weak and numb to the world. 

Kate had retreated within herself, allowing Saira to plan her daughter’s memorial. Kate didn’t even shed a tear when Saira chillily informed her that she would prefer if Kate didn’t come to Rana’s funeral at all. 

Even in death, Rana had to suffer for the supposed shame that she was bringing on her family. Saira didn’t want any of Rana’s relatives from Pakistan to see Kate and know that she was to be Rana’s wife. Kate was poison to the family name. Hassan was already dead because of what Kate did to his family. Saira had now lost her daughter and her husband both because of Kate. 

The funeral would be full of people who didn’t know the real Rana, people who would hate Rana if they knew the depth of her love for Kate. In her dream, Kate couldn’t bring herself to care. Her life was empty without Rana in it, and whether or not she attended her fiancée’s funeral wouldn’t change the fact that she was gone. 

Deep down, Kate felt that she deserved it. She had brought shame and punishment on the Habeeb family, therefore she didn’t deserve to take the name that she’d ruined. She’d never be Mrs. Habeeb, and Rana would never be Mrs. Connor. Maybe God really did hate her. Maybe this was punishment for being in love with a woman. Or perhaps it was karma for helping Rana cheat on Zeedan. Kate had gotten the message. God didn’t want Kate to be happy. 

Kate couldn’t sleep with the light, vibrating sound of Rana’s heartbeat pressed against her chest. The feeling comforted her, but there was no way that Kate was going to close her eyes now. She was scared that if she did, Rana would disappear. If she closed her eyes again, her life as she knew it might crumble away to nothing. 

She shivered as she remembered Rana’s last words to her in her dream. 

_“Always.”_

That wedding day had ended in Kate crying over Rana’s stiff body. Kate was afraid to wake up. What if this wedding day wasn’t any different? What if she lost Rana forever? 

Kate held Rana to her tightly, studying her every feature until sunlight streamed through the window and created weblike shadows below Rana’s eyelashes. 

The morning had arrived safely, Rana perfectly intact and breathing lightly. There was no darkness in sight.

Just then, Rana’s eyes opened slowly as she smiled at Kate. 

“Happy wedding day, Mrs. Habeeb-Connor.” 

Kate could’ve cried with joy, tearing up quickly as Rana’s beautiful face gazed back cloudily against her watery vision. However, her tears refused to fall. 

“Not Connor-Habeeb?” She questioned as Rana stroked her hair lovingly. 

“Whatever you think, love. I like either one.” Rana kissed her gently before heading to the kitchen to make them both a cup of tea.

Kate felt like the luckiest woman in the world. She lay back against the sheets, which smelled sweetly of Rana. This was going to be her life forever, and she couldn’t wait. 

She was going to be so happy. They both were. 

 

—

And they were. 

The wedding was perfect. Rana looked beautiful in her dress, and she had cried when she saw how stunning Kate looked when they met at the altar. 

Rana’s mother had surprisingly made an appearance, asking timidly if she could stay and smiling kindly, yet apprehensively as her daughter recited her vows to Kate. Saira had given Rana a beautiful golden bracelet which once belonged to her grandmother. It was more than a piece offering. The gift had left both Rana and Kate speechless. 

Kate could tell just how much it meant to Rana having her mum there supporting her. No one wanted to experience their wedding day without their parent, regardless of what had happened in the past. Rana couldn’t stopped smiling as she looked at her mother sitting beside Imran in the front row. This would be the beginning of true healing now. 

All of their closest friends and family were there. Kate’s father had cried as Rana vowed to love his daughter unconditionally for the rest of their lives. The ceremony had gone beautifully and they had gotten married without a hitch. 

Kate’s hand trembled as she slid the ring onto Rana’s slender finger. 

They’d kissed sweetly but chastely. 

They all laughed as Gemma caught the bouquet and Rana smashed her piece of wedding cake into Kate’s face before kissing the icing off her lips with a smile. Carla had appeared halfway through the reception, her fingers linked with Pete’s as Kate let out a cheer.

Soon after, Kate had the idea of doing a separate ceremony to celebrate Rana’s Pakistani heritage, a gesture which pleased Saira. Their friends had no complaints about attending a second ceremony as long as there was free food. 

Rana had rolled her eyes and claimed that Kate was only doing it to score brownie points with her mother, but Kate could see Rana’s eyes smiling. She appreciated Kate for making the extra effort, even though she didn’t show it. 

Rana had looked stunning in her red and gold sharara-kurta and veil. Kate couldn’t stop tracing the beautiful Mehndi on Rana’s hands. Kate didn’t know anything about muslim weddings, but she had an excellent teacher in Rana.

Their second wedding had been equally as fun as the first, this time with plenty of loud music and wonderful, traditional Pakistani dishes that Kate had never tried before. Rana had been so touched by Kate’s gesture that she couldn’t help taking her wife to bed that night, making love to Kate with so much passion that she saw stars.

Bliss followed after that for the rest of their lives. 

The honeymoon was an absolute paradise, complete with plenty of sun, sand, blue skies, and love.

After a few years of traveling the world before finally settling down and buying a house, they decided to start a family. 

Kate had dreamt up a mad plan where they would both attempt to get pregnant simultaneously, which ultimately resulted in both her and Rana sporting matching round bellies and glowing with love. 

Two girls were born that year, one in the summer and one in winter. Ella and Amira Connor-Habeeb brought so much joy to Kate and Rana’s lives that they could’ve burst with happiness.

They’d had two more children after that, Rana carrying them both. Since Kate had experienced mild complications during her first pregnancy, they’d decided against taking any risks. Rana’s second pregnancy had resulted in the birth of twins, one girl and one boy. Rachel, the girl, was born first before her younger brother, Imran. 

With four children, their lives were hectic. At times, Kate wanted to pull her hair out with frustration, yet she never once forgot how lucky she was to have Rana with her. 

The kids grew up knowing Saira as their grandmother, though Kate could tell that it still hurt Rana a little to think of her father who had never accepted her. She spoke little of their grandfather to her children, but Kate knew that Rana wasn’t ashamed. Her life with Kate had been the biggest blessing, and Rana never ceased to thank her God for it.

Kate never thought she’d be one of those boring women who settled down with a massive family complete with a house and a dog, yet here she was. Between taking care of a house full of children and starting her own pub business on the street with Rana, Kate soon grew used to loud noises, rooms ringing with laughter, and constant inconvenient messes. 

And yet she wouldn’t change a thing. 

Kate was so busy living out her dream life with Rana that eventually her nightmare was long forgotten.


End file.
